The burden on his shoulders
by rosee-1518
Summary: He'd told Percy and himself that he'd done it because it had been the right thing to do. It was true, but it wasn't the main reason. He would never say it out loud, but to be honest Nico had joined his oldest friend out of pity. But for the first time Nico is forced to stay strong –not for himself but for his friend, who was cursed by a heartless god.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my second story. I know more or less where this story is going, so please tell me what you think, what I could make better and if there are any mistakes. English is not my first language and I want to get better. **

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**Chapter 1**

The silence around the deer was interrupted by the whistling sound of a flying arrow. The deer, covered by a large tree, sprinted away without any injury. Further away, hidden behind the leafs of an oak tree was a figure, whose face was hidden by the shadows. As he saw his prey flee, he grunted and pushed himself off the tree. The dim light lit up his handsome features, showing a boy of approximately twenty five with black hair, green eyes and a short beard. He cursed as he realized that his prey was gone. A quiet laugh rang behind this young man and a smaller figure, also a man, came from the shadows.

By saying that this man came from the shadows, I mean that he really did walk right of the shadows.

"Told you we should've gone fishing", he said with glee. He must have been about 18 years old and had also black hair. He had the blackest eyes and his skin was pale.  
The older male kicked a pebble away and said: "Naah. You know I don't feel comfortable doing that."  
"Well, then you should have let me hunt this thing.". The boy smirked. "You know that you suck at archery, Perce"  
"Hey!". The man, Percy, turned around and crossed his arms. "You know I've gotten better at it. Besides…". He walked away to pick up the arrow that missed the prey. "The deer didn't look that good anyways"  
The boy, whose name was Nico, rolled his eyes and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Whatever, man. I'm hungry again and we should look for something fresh and eatable before it gets too dark to hunt". He eyed Percy and he understood immediately what Nico wanted from him.  
"I'm not going to fish anything.", he said determinedly and loudly as they both walked through the forest. "You go fishing and I'll make the fire."

The sun was going down slowly and there was a fresh breeze going through the peaceful, abandoned beach. Two hours had passed since Percy failed to kill his prey.

Percy was now sitting in a sheltered spot, tending the camp fire as he held a pipe in his other hand. He didn't move as Nico approached, with three fish hanging on a rope. His smirk could have blended the sun.

Nico stopped right next to Percy and swung the rope with the meal in front of his face. Percy closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. It was nice to see Nico acting like a kid again, but sometimes (this was one of the many times) it was irritating as Hades.

"Well done, Nico", Percy admitted. He took the fish and threw them on the tattered pan.  
"Thanks", Nico said smirking and sat down on the other side. He lay down on his back and sighed contently. "I had to get help from some skeletons, but they didn't help much."  
Percy raised an eyebrow as he let out a puff of smoke and turned the fish so that they would cook on both sides.

Nico would never admit to his friend that the skeletons had done all the work while he relaxed under the sun.  
His eyes fixed on the darkening sky and his mind was blank. Well, almost blank. His thoughts were on that day they he left Olympus. It was two days before he joined Percy and they started their lives as outcasts.

"Do you think they're looking for us?"

"Why should they?", Percy replied coldly.

"Well, it's been two years. I think it's strange that we haven't encountered any demigods."

He was met with silence.

"You could think that what we did in the past wasn't-"

"Dinner's ready", Percy cut him off, "Here" He pierced a fish with a knife and handed it to Nico, who was still a little perplexed. They ate in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

After finishing dinner they cleaned everything and buried the leftovers. Today it was Nico's turn to set up the tent.

Nico didn't feel comfortable while doing this. Percy was being terribly silent and he didn't like it. To Nico, silence meant death and the resurface of painful and embarrassing memories. The memories and feelings you've been trying so hard to bury deep inside your soul escape your sub-conscience and hunt you in your dreams and thoughts. There is almost no escape from them.

He wondered why Percy enjoyed the silence so much. He should be terrified from it after Tartarus, the wars and the curse. And yet Percy liked being silent. Maybe the memories didn't hurt so much if he thought about happier times. Or maybe, just maybe Percy enjoyed the silence because it made him quiet inside and the painful memories were easier to control.

Nico shook his head. Nothing made any sense. All this thinking was making him tired and –oh boy, what a long day he had had today. He and Percy had been up since sunrise. They've made no breaks during the day, only stopped once to eat something. He was tired. And his feet were sore. And his back ached from carrying the heavy backpack. He was still hungry. It was in moments like these were he missed fast-food restaurants.

_Stop complaining!,_ he mentally slapped himself. _You've been through worse things! You knew what you were getting in to when you chose this life!_

_I knew that, but not really…_

_Shut up! I'm not supposed to talk to myself! Leave me alone!_

Great, now he was talking to himself! Next he would act like Gollum.

A thing that always made him feel guilty when those memories rose up was the reason for joining Percy. The _real _reaon. He'd told Percy and himself that he'd done it because it had been the right thing to do. It was true, but it wasn't the _main_ reason. He would never say it out loud, but to be honest Nico had joined his oldest friend out of pity. Yes, pity.

That day was still fresh and alive in Nico's mind. The air in the forest had been musky. The forest had smelled of wet plants and trees and fertile earth. He still remembers the buzzing sounds of insects and the sounds of walking animals. Nico knows that he would have never found Percy had it not been for the smoke of the campfire.

Nico sat up shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He was tired; he should try to get some sleep. As he relaxed and his eyes closed, something told Nico that he should stay awake. But before he could open his eyelids again, he fell asleep and a memory took form in his dream.

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**So? What do you think? Please REVIEW **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Fallen branches and leafs cracked under his feet. He was trying to be as silent as possible. He could imagine that he would be a little jumpy after everything that happened in the past…days, weeks and years. He waved his hand to shoo away some weird insects. That was probably one of the few positive things about the Underworld: no annoying bugs. On the other hand there was no sunlight so…

Nico pondered about whether calling his name from up here or getting closer and then getting his attention. He watched him from the spot he was standing.

He looked the same as yesterday. Okay, he was only seeing Percy from behind, but if his clothes were not torn from behind then his front should look okay. Percy was sitting on a fallen tree. His shoulders were hunched as if he was carrying (again) the weight of the world on his back. He was playing with a stock of a tree, drawing things on the earth. He looked very... lonely.

Nico frowned, wondering if he had looked like this after Bianca had died. If he had then he preferred how he looked now. He was still recovering from the time the giants held him captive and Tartarus, but he felt better. He hadn't felt so alive since Bianca.

He shook his head. Now was not the time to think about his sister. She had said goodbye to him and had chosen rebirth…. She was fine now.

Percy sighed long and sad. Nico's eyes narrowed a little, feeling a little overwhelmed with this situation. He had no idea how to approach his friend, what to say to him. He didn't know what happened; only that he had been forced to leave quickly, if his father's words could be trusted.

Maybe he should head back to camp. This was none of his business. What happened between Percy and the gods was not his concern. The demigods of both camps had finally accepted and respected him as a son of Hades/Pluto. Finally he had a place where he belonged, a sister to take care of. He couldn't just leave all this behind for another demigod! Yes, he was the hero of Olympus and saved the world twice. But he...Bianca died and he did nothing.  
Nico was going to leave him. He would see now and then if Percy was okay, but that would be it. He was done. He did what he had to do and now Nico deserved a long break.

He turned around. He began to walk away from his oldest friend, but something was holding him back. He looked back slowly. Percy was in the same position as before. Nico bit his lip. Somehow Percy reminded Nico of himself. He too had been in this position. Only that no one had forced him into that life.

So Nico did what everyone would have done. He turned and approached Percy.

"… Hey". _Great way to start, Nico. _

Percy jumped and turned his head to where the voice had come from. He relaxed as he saw Nico standing behind him.

"Hey…", he said and smiled genuinely. "Do you want to sit?" He pointed at a trunk. Nico nodded and moved to sit down. He looked at Percy and when he saw that his friend was deep in thought he glanced down. He should say something.

"So… how are you?" Nico mentally slapped himself. He could have said something about the weather.

Percy looked down. "Okay I guess…".

To Nico it was clear that Percy wasn't fine.

"And… how long have you been-"

"What are you doing here, Nico?", Percy asked.  
Nico stared at him. Percy was looking at him intently, waiting for an explanation."I… uhm…". Nico was looking for the right words to explain. He gesticulated with his hands. "It's- it's the right thing."  
Percy opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it and looked at his feet. He took a deep breath. "You don't have to do this", he said quietly. "This- this is my problem. I'd be a burden to you"  
"That's not true!", Nico cut him off, frowning. "You survived Tartarus and faught a million monsters! I'd be stupid if I _didn't_ join you!"  
The son of Poseidon kept his eyes glued to the ground. He started playing with the stick again. "I'm not a burden yet", he said, his voice suddenly thick and shaky. "But I will be.".

He looked up, meeting Nico's eyes. His sea-green eyes were glowing and Nico was able to see all his emotions and memories in those depths. They were moving pictures, a movie with no sound. As the background became darker and darker, his eyes grew bigger and the sea-green color glowed even more. Nico saw a large hand coming down, about to judge him. But before he could see the verdict, everything became dark and Nico sat up startled. A dream. He just woke up from a dream.

He wiped his face. His dark eyes got used to the blazing light that shone through the tent.

Percy was looking at him from the entrance of the tent. His eyes, unlike the dream, showed no emotion as he stared down at his friend. Nico shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked at Percy.

"Breakfast is ready", the hero said curtly and left the tent.

Nico shook his head again, wiping the sweat drops from his face. He sighed and crawled out of his sleeping bag and the tent. He blinked. It was a clear day; no clouds covered the blue sky. The forest hid the chitterling birds and other animals worth to hunt. Nico groaned inwardly. The simple thought of having to hunt again made him tired. He should be thankful though; the dream could have been worse.

"Mornin' ", the son of Hades muttered and stretched. "Gods, I'm tired"  
Percy chuckled and stirred the stew. "Really? You slept through and you had no nightmare, though"  
"Yeah so?" He sat down and rubbed his hands expectantly. "What's in there?". He nodded at the smoking kettle.  
"A lot"  
Nico gritted his teeth and hid his face behind his hands. "I'm not in the mood for this"  
"Me neither", he replied as he filled Nico's bowl with something that looked like soup or stew. Nico sniffed and shrugged. It smelled better than it looked. He took a sip from it and tasted it. He licked his lips and shrugged. He looked up to see Percy staring at him. "It's good", he said. "Better than the last one you made"  
Percy smiled and dipped the spoon into the bowl. "Everything is better than the soup from last time"

**- Rachel -**

Rachel groaned, leaning her head against the wall. Clarisse was annoying her.

"I told you I can't help you, Clarisse!", she yelled angrily.  
Clarisse rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "You are the damn oracle", she said, gritting her teeth. "You are here to help!"  
"Yes and under normal circumstances I would help you out, but you're asking the impossible!"  
Clarisse raised her arms and shrugged. "I'm just asking where-"  
Rachel stood up from her armchair. "-Where that thing is you're trying to find-"  
"That thing is my father's present for Aphrodite"  
"But I told you already I don't know where it is!"  
"You always help the others!", Clarisse shouted furiously. "But when one of the Ares cabin asks you then you have nothing!"  
Rachel shook her head and stomped with her foot. "It's not my fault!"  
"Well, I don't see you trying harder"

Clarisse had a quest from her father. She had to go somewhere '_where blood has been shed_' to '_retrieve war's gift to love_'. Those were two lines of the prophecy. And as Clarisse had noted a while ago these lines were complete 'bullshit'.

Rachel shook her head again. "I'm sorry, but I have nothing. Maybe you should try looking at those battle places from the civil war. You know, blood, death and all that stuff."  
Clarisse grunted and rolled her eyes. She left the Oracle's cave without a word. Rachel fell on her bed and sighed. Thank the gods, she was gone.

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**So this was the second chapter. I promise this story will get better and the chapters longer. Please REVIEW **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"We didn't lose them didn't we?", Nico asked, gasping for breath.  
Percy shook his head and looked around worriedly. "They're too fast"  
"Dammit"  
"We have to hide", Percy said and leaned against a tree. "I can hear them."  
"Fine, but where?". Nico looked around frantically.

It was true. The forest was filled with screeches that got louder and louder the longer Nico and Percy stood there.  
They were being followed by two ugly and very furious gorgons. Percy and Nico had been packing their things when a gorgon attacked the son of Hades. Percy had been quick, killing it successfully with one slash. Still a little dazed, the two demigods ran into the forest, dodging the deadly claws from the two remaining gorgons.

Now, after fifteen minutes of running they had finally found a moment to rest. They were tired and both knew that they had three choices: keep running until either the monsters or they fall and die; hide or fight them. The second choice was attractive, but where to hide? The gorgons could smell their blood. The third choice, fighting, was also possible. They had both done much worse before, but they were a little out of practice, not having encountered any monsters in six months. So they could only hide and… pray that the gorgons didn't see them.

Nico had an idea. He hit Percy on the arm.

"The lake!", he exclaimed as he started running again. Percy caught his drift and ran behind him. They hadn't run long when they arrived at a small clearing with a dark lake. Nico looked at Percy questioningly.

"Think you can keep us under water until they're gone?"  
Percy stared at the lake. His eyes were sad as he observed water. The water seemed to tremble under his gaze. He sighed and nodded. There was no other way; the gorgons were getting closer; they could hear and smell them.

They ran into the lake and dived into the dark water. Nico closed his eyes, holding his breath and waiting for Percy to make an air bubble.

"Nico, you can breathe now". Percy's voice sounded hollow, the way a voice sounds in an empty, large room and the words simply echo from the walls.

Nico opened his eyes. Percy was looking at him amusedly. The son of Hades patted his clothes; they were dry. He nodded impressed.

"Cool", he said.  
Percy chuckled. "Thanks"

They fell into silence. They could hear the gorgon's voices and screams from afar.

"They're gone!"  
"Impossible!", screeched the other. "They are playing a trick on us! I know him! He's behind this shit!"  
"Who?"  
"The sea-spawn, you idiot! Remember? He killed us four times!"  
The gorgon let out a piercing scream, cursing the damn demigod, who had killed them four times.  
"I'll tell you what, we wait here until they come up", snarled the other. "They cannot stay into the water forever. The filthy demigod will get tired and they'll have to come up to breathe". She cackled. The other gorgon said something that the demigods couldn't hear, but they did hear the punch that the other gave her.  
"You stupid rat! He's Poseidon's son! He'll come up sooner or later…"

Nico groaned and looked up. The water reflected the sun light, making everything look like a crystal. He had seen crystals and other gems in the Underworld, but they didn't reflect the sunlight.

"Fuck", he groaned and rubbed his forehead. He glanced at Percy, who was looking down. "What do we do now, Percy?"  
The son of Poseidon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We wait?"  
Nico shook his head. "They're angry. They're going to wait until the world ends."  
Percy pressed his lips together and nodded finally. "Okay", he said quietly. "I have an idea" . He swam to the left. Nico backed off a little, knowing that Percy's ideas usually backfired.

Percy closed his eyes in concentration and, taking a deep breath, opened his eyes and raised his open hand. He closed it and his eyes glowed blue for a second. Then the surface of the water exploded taking Nico with it. Nico yelled in shock and swallowed water as the waves washed him to the shore.

The gorgons screamed and fought against the water, but the water formed two arms, grabbed the two screeching monsters and took them down into the darkness of the sea. The water stirred violently for a few moments before it calmed down again. Everything was normal again.

Nico coughed and shook his arms. He was dripping and he had swallowed a lot of water. He ran a hand through his wet hair and face and fell on his back. He groaned loudly.

"I'm not moving. Never again.", he said determinately as he heard his friend coming out of the water. It wasn't necessary; Percy tumbled to Nico and fell next to him. He closed his eyes and Nico saw with wide eyes (and a little horror) how wrinkles formed under his eyes and his hair got a few grey strands.

"Oh shit"

Percy opened his eyes and looked at Nico questioningly. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed his friend's look. He sat up, running a hand through his face and feeling his skin. His eyes widened and he panted as he too felt the few wrinkles. Percy was shaking. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't do anything. So the son of Poseidon jumped to his feet and walked away.

Nico sat there, staring wide-eyed at the sea. He too had no idea what to do.

**- Clarisse -**

Clarisse walked with big steps through the musky forest. Just her luck that a hellhound had found her and delayed the whole quest. She killed the monster of course, but it had taken longer than she would have expected (and admitted). Now it was getting darker and Clarisse had just stepped into the forest. She hated forests.

She stopped in her tracks. She had the feeling that someone or something was following her. She gripped the spear her father had given her after the Giant war and prepared to face the enemy. She whirled around, stabbing into a bush. Clarisse pursed her lips and checked her surroundings. Nothing big was following her; she must have heard a rodent or something.

The forest was dark by now. The stars in the sky were of no use to Clarisse. It would be stupid to continue the walk as long as it was dark; she would continue tomorrow. Now she had to find shelter and rest.

She was lucky. She had strayed about for a while when she found a hut. She knocked because her mother had taught her manners and it warned the people in it if someone inhabited this ruin. No one answered the door so she opened it and walked inside, studying the room. It was small. There was an old couch in corner and a cupboard in the other. Otherwise the room had only a table and something that looked like a chair. Clarisse frowned as she stepped on a piece of cloth. She picked it up; she pursed her lips in disgust. It was a t-shirt, a very used and old one. She threw it aside when she heard a rumble and before she knew what was happening, something big and boney attacked her. This boney thing took her down, hitting her everywhere. Clarisse didn't even have time to yell in surprise or anger, but she had good reflexes and hit back. She knew by now that this boney thing was a person. A man with shaggy grey hair and he was screaming incoherently and non-stop. The daughter of Ares eventually managed to grip the attacker's throat. He gurgled and gasped for air, gripping and scratching her to free himself. But Clarisse was strong and experienced. She threw him to the side and sat on him as she held her dagger to his throat. Her heart was beating fast and her body ached where the man had hit her. The attacker was skinny and dirty. He was shaking under her and whimpering like a coward. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy.

She showed her teeth at him, acting braver than she felt.

"A move and I'll rearrange your ugly face", she hissed, pressing the dagger against his cheek. The man whimpered again. He was a wimp Clarisse thought in disgust. She didn't kill bastards like him. Besides he was a mortal and she wasn't allowed to kill mortals as bad as she wanted to.

She spat at him and stood up, gripping the man by his hair and dragging him to the corner where the cupboard was. The man was mumbling and crying about how unfair and bad life was to him, cursing the evil whore who had broken into his home. Clarisse ignored him. She was really too angry to pay attention to anything besides her plan to tie him up well so she could sleep well. She opened the cupboard and grabbed a rope from a box. Then she dragged the whining man to the corner in the opposite side of the couch.

The man was begging to be released, swearing by everything that he would not harm her if she let him go now. But Clarisse wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what the man would do if she let him go. Clarisse wasn't cold, but she mistrusted every person or creature that tried to attack her in any way.

She tied his feet and his hands. Then she grabbed the other end of the rope and tied it to the roof. She checked that the knots were firm and that the rope was dtrong enough to last through the night.

The man began to wriggle, fighting against the rope. He screamed at her, calling her names that even Clarisse had no idea they existed. She huffed and hit the man unconscious with the grip of the dagger. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and turned her back to the wimp. She walked to the couch and lay down, falling asleep soon after.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Clarisse woke up with a headache. She had no idea where she was at first but as her eyes accustomed to the light shining through the roof, she remembered. She sat up biting her lips in pain. The man really had hurt her. But she'd had worse in her life. She wouldn't let a skinny person stop her from fulfilling this quest. She stood up from the couch, packed her things and walked through the door. The attacker was still unconscious and tied, but she had no intention to free him. She spat as she closed the door behind her and continued with her journey.

She walked passed a stream and Clarisse took the chance to wash her face and fill her water bottle. The man who attacked her woke up. Clarisse knew this because she could hear him screaming and cursing her again. She stood up and continued to walk. She did not look back once.

**- Percy and Nico -**

Percy didn't come back for hours. During these hours Nico had made himself useful and had gone hunting. He was starving and in a bad mood and wanted nothing but to lie down onto his mattress and sleep, sleep, sleep.

The gods were merciful today and Nico hunted a hare. Nico couldn't wait for dinner. As he skinned the poor dead animal he couldn't think about anything else. It made him feel a little selfish as Percy had just aged a few years just for using his powers. But he didn't dwell on that long, but made a campfire and started to separate the edible parts of the hare from the non-edible parts. He hoped Percy was in the mood for the kidneys; Nico always preferred the heart over anything else.

He had just begun with the cooking when Percy walked up to him. The demigod was a little pale, but stayed strong and smiled weakly at his friend. Nico simply nodded and focused on cutting herbs to give the meat more taste. Meanwhile Percy set up the tent and rolled the thin mattresses under it. He then threw the backpacks into the tent and sat in front of Nico.

Nico didn't know if it was because it was full moon or because Percy had aged a few years in matter of seconds, but he didn't sleep. He moved, turned onto his side, then the other, but nothing helped. He counted sheep a million times, but it only made him more frustrated than he already was. And by the way Percy sighed and didn't stop moving, Nico guessed that he wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

Nico was awake when the moon went down and when the sun rose waking up the birds, who started to chirp, and he knew that there was no way that he'd be able to sleep now. Then Percy sat up and crawled out of the tent forcing Nico to stand up too.

Neither of them was in a good mood and it didn't help that there was no food left. They had eaten everything the night before. Biting his tongue so that he wouldn't let out his anger on Percy, Nico packed his things and helped his friend to clean the camp. They resumed their walk – Nico had no idea what to call it – in silence and stepped into the cool forest in the same state. Nico hadn't had a shitty day for over three months. He realized it when he started to think if he'd ever had a shitty day like this. But yes, he had and Nico realized in that moment that he'd gotten too comfortable. This had been his life before and during the Giant war and now he almost couldn't handle it! Bianca would be ashamed of him.

Nico shook his head. He couldn't think about his lost sister or he would get angrier than he already was.

Percy gripped his shoulder and stopped him. Nico frowned, asking him with his eyes why he'd stopped him. Percy jerked his head to the right, motioning at an old, abandoned house. There was no way this old house wasn't abandoned. The paint was peeling off, part of the roof had broken into the house, the glass of many windows were crashed or covered in dust and the door was making weird noises.

"Let's go in there", Percy said, his eyes fixed onto the house. Nico frowned. Exploring a house that looked haunted by monsters of ghosts wasn't the wisest thing two children of two powerful gods could do. But Percy and Nico had always been more impulsive than wise and they were both in a bad mood and hungry. Letting out the anger and frustration on a few monsters sounded good.

The two demigods stormed into the house, not bothering on being silent and unsheathed their swords.

Nothing was waiting for them in the house.

"Shit". Percy said. Nico nodded in agreement. The plan had backfired.

The house was dark and full of dust. The furniture was covered by blankets that used to be white and spider webs hung from everywhere. This was not a place for a child of Athena. Nico glanced carefully at Percy, trying to see if he was thinking the same thing. It was so because Percy had the same sadness in his eyes when he looked at the ocean or lake. It was time to distract him. Nico clapped his hands, walking deeper into the house. The wooden floor creaked under his feet.

"What do we do next?"  
Percy shrugged. "Maybe…look around and… see if there's something useful?"  
Nico grunted. "Sure… because the owners surely didn't take everything precious with them when they moved out"  
Percy didn't bother to answer.

They began the exploration separately. Nico walked to something that must've been the kitchen and Percy entered a room.

Nico noticed something that alarmed him. The kitchen table was the only furniture that had no dust covering it. The remaining of the other furniture was unrecognizable. The son of Hades looked down, frowning and pursing his lips as he noticed footprints. Two different types of shoes. And they led into another room. Nico followed the prints, opening carefully the door and looking in cautiously. The room was empty. He was about to keep following the tracks, but a loud sound distracted him and he stormed after it. It came from the room Percy had walked into. Nico coughed. There was a dust cloud in the room and under it was a large hole. The floor must have broken down.

"Nico?", Percy coughed. "I'm down here!"  
Nico laughed and walked closer to the abyss. Percy was lying there, covered in dust and spider webs. The cellar was black and weird things (Nico guessed they were bricks or pieces of the floor) were lying around Percy.  
"Comfy?", Nico asked with a smug grin.  
Percy coughed again and laughed skeptically. "Totally. Get a rope and get me out of here!"  
Nico looked around and shrugged. "There's nothing here.", he said. "I'll look around. You should try to find a way out."  
Percy grunted and crawled to his feet, trying to wipe off the dust and dirt from his hands. "This was a bad idea", Nico heard him mutter.

Nico walked to the next room, but there was nothing he could've used to get Percy out. The son of Hades had forgotten by now the footprints, but there was still a bad feeling left in him. Something was telling him to run, get out of the house and never go back but he ignored it. And when he entered the bathroom he understood why he should have run.

The bathroom wasn't dusty. The shower and the bathtub were full of blood. The walls, once white, had red splashes covering them. The blood was everywhere; on the floor, on the walls, the roof and on the floor. Nico kneeled and touched the red color. He paled and his fingers began to shake. The blood was still warm.

This was a slaughter house. Nico could hear screams and the sound of something sharp slashing against flesh in this room. He remembered the footprints and he knew immediately that they had to belong to the person, who had done this.

He had to warn Percy. He had to warn him. Nico turned around, walking right into a tall, bulky man, whose glare could have scared the god of war.

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**I hope you liked it. The next chapter will be a little brutal and bloody. Please REVIEW**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Nico's heart was beating fast as he stepped back from the man that was definitely the murderer. The man growled and before Nico could even react, he raised his fist and hit the demigod across the jaw. Nico only felt pain as he stumbled back, not even having time to recover when the fist hit his body again.

The man was fast and strong, throwing Nico down and beating him. The demigod avoided some of the hits, but those he couldn't avoid hit him hard. Nico began to defend himself, hitting back with force, scratching his face and spitting on him. The murderer realized that he was fighting against someone, who had experience. He grabbed a knife and aimed at Nico's throat. Nico growled and gripped the blade of the knife, trying to keep the sharp thing away from his throat. He was gritting his teeth, not even noticing the sharp pain that the knife gave him. The palms of his hands began to bleed; the red fluid was dripping from his fists. But Nico held onto it. He was not going to give up. The knife was getting closer, the man's snarl louder, but then something big lunged at him and threw him to the side.

Nico gasped and shook himself. He stumbled to his feet and towards Percy, who was furiously wrestling against the murderer.

Had they been in a city or village, the shouts and growls would have woken up the neighbors. But they were in the middle of nowhere and they couldn't count on help.

Percy and the man stumbled together, refusing to stop fighting against each other as they crashed against the window and fell outside.

Nico ran to help his friend, but someone pushed him aside and he slipped into the bathtub. Nico yelled in disgust. The blood soaked his clothes. He fumbled to get out, but he was distracted by the second man, who stood over him with a large blade in his hand. The blood of the previous victim hadn't been washed from the deadly weapon. Nico yelled again and punched the man on his face with his shoe. The murderer yelped and screamed in pain. The blade slipped off his fingers and Nico had enough time to get out of the tub. He growled now seriously furious. He could hear Percy wrestling with the other man in the background, but to him there was only the other man. The sound of the screaming victims ringed in his ears and he attacked the monster before he could attack him again.

He jumped at him with an animalistic growl and took the man down with him. They started to wrestle and beat each other. They were both strong and agile, giving well-aimed hits to their opponent.  
Eventually the man rolled Nico onto his back and gripped his throat. The son of Hades tried to pull the deadly hands away, hitting the murderer in the face but he only snarled, showing his crooked teeth. Nico's sight was getting blurry. He stopped fighting the man, searching with his hands for something he could use against him. His fingers came in touch with something hard and he took it without hesitation. He raised his arm and punched the man with the brick. The murderer groaned in pain and Nico rolled him onto his back and hit him with the brick again, again and again until he was tired and the man's face was unrecognizable.

Nico dropped the weapon and fell onto his back in exhaustion. His heart rate was fast, he was breathing hard. The realization that he had just killed someone didn't dawn on him yet.

He could hear the screams of Percy and the other man as they continued to fight. Then he heard a shout and how someone hit the other against the wall over and over again. Then it was deadly silent.

Nico got to his feet slowly. His body ached everywhere. His hands burned and his tongue tasted blood. He ran a hand through his face and frowned when his skin came in contact with somethin wet and warm. He looked at his hand and found it red with blood. He jumped when he heard footsteps behind him, but relaxed again when he saw Percy.

Percy looked bad. His face was bruised. His jacket was in tatters and his knuckles were bleeding. But what caught Nico's attention was the blood stains on his face and shirt. He looked at Percy's eyes. They were wild, uncontrolled and crazy, like the sea during a storm. He was shaking and his eyes widened as he studied Nico. The son of Hades looked down on himself and was shocked and a little scared to find his clothes red with blood. It wasn't his blood. He knew who the owner was but he couldn't bear to look at the corpse.

"What- what do we do with them, Percy?", he whispered.  
Percy took his time to answer. Eventually he said: "Leave them here. If someone finds them, they'll think it was self-defense."  
Nico nodded. Percy put a hand on his shoulder and led him out of the haunted house.

**- Clarisse -**

Clarisse kicked a branch aside as she stomped through the forest. The day had not gotten better and she was tired. Stupid quest. Her father couldn't have send monsters. No, she had to find this stupid thing for his… lover. Clarisse almost said stupid, but she knew that offending Aphrodite could have serious consequences. And Chris and she had just bought a house in New Athens. She wasn't one to threaten her life now that it was almost perfect.

But still. Her father was a god. If she was Aphrodite she would have asked Ares to personally buy a gift instead of asking his daughter to do it for him.

_Men are stupid_, Clarisse thought. _Except for Chris, but he is different._

Clarisse stopped on her tracks and raised an eyebrow. What if every girl thought that her boyfriend was different? Maybe all men were the same but girls didn't notice it. If so then girls were equally stupid.

It was mid-day, the sun was high and the warrior was glad that it wasn't summer. It wasn't hot, but all the walking had made her warm and she was sweating. She didn't dare to take off her jacket in fear of losing it.

Clarisse's eyes narrowed. There was something behind those trees that caught her eye. She held up her spear, prepared to pierce anything that looked threatening. As she pushed away the branches she noticed with a frown the ruin. It used to be a house, but in Clarisse opinion this thing didn't deserve to be called like it. It was a ruin; a house for monsters. The door and dark windows glared at the demigod, daring her to come closer. But Clarisse had had enough. The man in that old hut had been enough and she didn't thing she was ready to face a monster. It was still daytime, meaning it would take a few hours until the sun started going down. Until then Clarisse would not enter any house, hut or cave.

She decided to go around the house. It didn't look better from the side. It was just as ugly as from the front. She walked faster, chuckling at the thought of those monsters inside the house. They would wait for her in vain. She began to whistle a song. And then she stopped in her tracks. She was sure she had imagined it, but she thought to have seen a man lying against the wall. She hesitated. She didn't have to turn around and look; it was none of her business. But the smell and the silence didn't fool her. She turned her head back and gasped.

The window was broken and the glass lay on the ground. The earth was stained with blood. And with the head against the wall, his arms hanging to his side was a man. He was big, his nose was broken and his face had bruises. Blood ran over his face and Clarisse knew that someone had hit his head against the wall. He was dead. Clarisse walked slowly, almost hesitant to the broken window, looking through it and her heart stopped. The room was covered in blood and on the floor laid a person in his own blood.

There were no monsters in this house. Something awful had happened here.

Clarisse cursed herself for sticking her nose in things that didn't concern her. She turned and ran away, far away from this haunted house, where two men had found their death. She wanted to get away from this cursed forest, where she had found nothing but cruelty and madness.

She ran as if the furies were behind her. She didn't feel the branches scratching her face or the roots under her feet. She ran only thinking about leaving this damned place. She was so focused on leaving the forest behind that she didn't notice that the forest ended and she fell down and hit her arm. She stayed there; too exhausted to notice the two surprised men sitting in front a fire. She saw was a familiar face hovering above her with a curious look on his face.

"Nico?".

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**I'm quite pleased with this chapter. Did you like it? And YES Clarisse finally meats Percy and Nico. **

** Please REVIEW**

**I also want to thank for the reviews I got so far. They made me very happy =D **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

They walked through the forest back to the lake without saying a word. The whole place was deadly silent. It was as if the population in this forest was afraid and waiting until these two men were gone to continue with their routine.

It was horrible. Every time the realization of what he'd just done tried to dawn on Nico, the demigod would press his fists against his temple, squint his eyes and count until his conscience blocked this…thing. He was not ready yet.

_Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen_…. Nico breathed in and out. His heart rate had calmed down by now and he wasn't shaking anymore. His hands hurt and were bleeding, but it was a good pain. It distracted him from the blood on his face and clothes. His face was swollen and Nico knew by looking at him that Percy's face was just as beaten up.

Nico knew before they even saw the lake that they would never ever bring this up. They would talk about what didn't happen or what they would like to have done, but they would never, ever speak about it.

What happened in the haunted house stays in the haunted house.

They arrived at the lake. Nico passed by the fallen tree and began to unbutton his jacket. He felt Percy behind him and turned to him. Percy was leaning against the tree, his hand over his eyes. The hero was shaking and breathing in and out to calm down.

"Did-did that really happen?", he muttered with a shaky voice. Nico didn't know if this question was meant for him or if it was just rhetorical. Either way, he didn't answer. Nico felt a knot in his throat and gulped to get rid of this feeling. Percy ran his hand over his face and forced a smile as he walked past Nico and he too began to undress.

They washed their bodies with the cold water. The coldness was a relief to the aching in Nico's face and he sighed contently as the liquid flowed down his face. Percy had a stony expression on his face and Nico felt bad for him. His chest had many bruises and scratches. His back had those as well. But they didn't heal like they should have. The water washed the dirt and blood of his skin but the wounds stayed.

Nico fixed his gaze at the water, pretending to not have seen anything unusual. It was the damn curse and he wondered distressed what Percy would lose next.

The day passed slowly and neither of them mentioned the haunted house or the two murdered murderers. They acted as if nothing had happened and went on with their daily routine. However both had shaky hands and a black eye from the fight so hunting was impossible. They decided to sit down and cool their feet in the lake while fishing. It was nice Nico decided. He didn't have to move or talk, but he was busy enough to ignore the incident.

And really, for a few hours everything was normal again. Percy was being silent, but he had those phases once in a while. They caught four fish and the firewood and dry leafs burned quicker than normal. It was too good to be true and Nico knew - and he hated himself for being right – that it wouldn't last the night.

Percy was smoking his pipe, turning the fish as the fire cooked them while Nico set up the tent. He thought for a moment to have heard something coming from the forest, but he dismissed it and went back to work. When everything was ready for the night he kneeled next to Percy and licked his lips as he stared at the roasted fish. Percy put one on his friend's plate, but before Nico could even take a first bite they were interrupted by a figure, which rolled down the dune and landed on her arm. The two demigods jumped to their feet their hands on their weapons.

The figure turned out to be a woman. She groaned and just lay there for a few moments. Nico approached her slowly. If she was the person he thought she was then he had to be careful. And yes, Nico was right, because the woman was no one but the famous heroine Clarisse la Rue.

Great!, Nico thought bitterly. Just what we needed.

He kneeled and studied her face, but it was definitely her. She opened her eyes and they widened a little when she saw him.

"Nico?"  
Nico sighed and stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. "Yep, it's her", he said loudly as he went back to eat dinner. "Let's eat!". He pulled Percy closer to him and gave him a pointed look. "Try not to look at her in the eye", he whispered. "She might recognize you if you're not careful"  
Percy nodded curtly and took a bite of the roasted fish. The two men had their eyes glued to their meal, trying to ignore Clarisse's presence.

Clarisse huffed, clenching her teeth as she stood up. She ached everywhere. She stumbled to the two men and stayed in front of them with her arms crossed over her chest. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Care to explain?".  
Nico looked up. "Nope" and went back to eating.  
"Who's this punk?", she jerked her head toward the other man, who was familiar to her.  
Nico felt Percy tense up and decided to answer for him. He sat up straighter and swallowed the last bit of the fish. "This punk is my friend, Clarisse."  
"He looks familiar"  
Nico laughed nervously. "Why do you think that, huh?"  
She shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. I just do"  
"Well, you know I think you're-"  
Suddenly Percy stood up, throwing his plate to the ground. Nico mourned over the lost pieces of the meal, but he quickly focused on the developing scene.

Percy stepped forward. "I'm Percy, Clarisse"  
There was a short silence in which Clarisse stepped back. Her face was shocked, she couldn't or wouldn't believe it and her moth was open. And then she took another step back and frowned.

"That's- that's….". Her eyes narrowed. "Impossible…"  
Percy raised his shoulders and looked down, his hands in his pockets. "Well, it is me."  
She fell silent. Then she stepped towards him and punched him in the face causing Percy to fall down. Nico jumped to his feet.

"Hey! Wha- why the fuck did you do that?", he yelled angrily as he helped his friend up.  
"That's for Annabeth", she spat. She threw a breach at him. "And that's…". She searched for words. "And that's for…. Ugh forget it you ass!" Then she sat down and stared angrily at the fire.

Nico helped Percy to sit down. "You okay?", he asked worriedly.  
Percy wiped his hand from his shoulder. He chuckled. "I'm okay, Nico. I'm not that old yet". He said this in an amused tone, but Nico wondered if he was the only one, who noticed the bitterness in his voice. Nonetheless he smiled forcedly and sat down to continue eating.

"What happened to your faces?", Clarisse asked. "And can I have something of that food?"  
"No"  
"Yes". Percy gave him a look and Nico crossed his arms and shrugged.  
"Okay", he said. "But only the half"  
Clarisse ate the whole fish and no one complained.

"We… were attacked", Percy said coming back to her first question.  
"Yeah. We almost lost"  
Clarisse scrunched her eyebrows as she chewed on her food. "Really.."  
"Yes… it- it was awful". Nico's voice broke and he looked away.

They were quiet for a few moments, each one of the busy with their own thoughts. But then Clarisse broke the ice.

"Were you attacked anywhere near a ruin or-or a house?", she asked suspiciously. The two male demigods stared at her. They didn't answer, but it was enough for the daughter of Ares.

"One of the men was big and tall, the other skinnier"  
The two boys continued to stare. Clarisse closed her eyes and leaned back on her arms.  
"Oh my gods…", she sighed. "Why did you go into that haunted house? It- everyone knows that you never ever step into haunted houses". She spat. "You only find monsters in there". She studied them. "What happened in there? There was a lot of blood"  
Percy and Nico exchanged a glance, before looking away quickly.

"Fine". Clarisse rolled her eyes. Then- "Why do you look so old, Percy?"

The mood changed from bad to worse. Nico glanced at his friend, whose composure was stiff. The son of Hades looked at Clarisse and shook his head slightly, but Percy sighed and looked at Nico. he understood immediately.

"You don't have to tell her", he said. "It's none of her business."  
But Percy shook his head and replied: "I know, but she deserves to know"  
Nico sighed in defeat. He stood up and sat on the ground with his eyes fixed to the flames.

And Percy told Clarisse. He told her about the curse, the envious god, who had damned him to this life, and why he had to leave. Clarisse was a good listener, something Nico didn't expect. She nodded encouragingly and the son of Hades watched how her face darkened as Percy continued with his story. She shook her head as he was finished.

"But-but why didn't you tell anyone?", she asked. "We- someone could have helped you."  
Percy averted her gaze. "I- I felt so…so humiliated", he whispered in a shaky voice. Nico didn't know if it was because he was angry or sad.  
"We could have-"  
"What? Put in a good word for me to the gods?". Percy laughed. "They could've lift up the curse when I asked them for help!"  
Clarisse had nothing to say. She looked at the fire and to Nico. "You knew about this. Why didn't you tell us?"  
He rolled his eyes and looked at his friend. "I swore not to tell anyone"  
"Oh and of course you kept that promise"  
"Yes I did"

They glared at each other. Clarisse turned to Percy.

"You have to tell her", she said determinately.  
Percy jumped to his feet and turned away. "No."  
The demigod frowned. "Why?"  
"She- I don't want her to see me like this", he hissed turning to the other two demigods. "I- Look at me!". He gestured at himself. "See? It's- This is going to get worse!"  
Clarisse shook her head. "She won't mind."  
"Oh really?". His eyes narrowed. "Can you promise that she won't leave when I'll need help with walking? When I can't stand up anymore? Can- Look at me and tell me she will not leave."

There was a short silence. Percy smiled bitterly and sat down. His whole energy was gone and he looked older.

"I can't go back, Clarisse", he said quietly. "You heard my story. You know what will happen to her if I come back"  
"I know", she muttered. She stood up and wiped the dust off her pants. "I'm going to sleep" . She didn't get far when Percy raised his voice. She turned around frowning.  
Percy looked at her intently. "Don't tell anybody"  
"I won't"  
"Promise it"  
Clarisse put her hand on her chest. She stared back. "I promise no one will find out about you". Then she turned back and crawled into _Percy's and Nico's_ tent.

Nico frowned and was about to yell at her to get out, but Percy shook his head.

"Let her", he said. "She'll be gone tomorrow".  
Nico huffed and lay down on his back. "I'm not comfortable". He heard the hero chuckle.  
"I'm leaning against a _tree_, Nico. I'm not comfortable either."

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**Okay, I don't like this chapter but it was necessary. Still, please tell me if there is something I could make better.**

**I also won't be able to update for a few weeks because I'm going on vacation. **

** REVIEW**


	7. Chapter 7

_Okay, school is starting next week (God dammit NOO PLEEEASSSEEEE!) and it's my final year and our teachers promised us a few years ago that they would bomb us with lots of work. What I'm trying to say is that updates will be slow. Maybe once a month or so, but I don't want to make any promises._

_God, I don't want to start school again... Okay I have to stop thinking about it or I might just cry._

_Please enjoy!_

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**Chapter 7**

A week passed since Clarisse accidentally found the two outcasts. She had successfully fulfilled the stupid quest and was now on her way to Olympus. She ignored the curious looks she got from tourists as she stepped into the elevator and pressed the 600th floor-button.

The sight of the place always left the daughter of Ares speech- and breathless. Annabeth had really outdone herself. She passed by statues of the Olympians that looked like they were real. Fountains sparkled under the sunlight, the temples looked invitingly and the doors to the throne room were the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. It simply looked godly.

Her father was waiting for her in the throne room. He was sitting on his throne and chatting with Aphrodite, goddess of love and his not-so-secret lover. They didn't notice her at first something that irritated and angered Clarisse. After all, she'd risked her life for that stupid present. The least her father could do was to acknowledge her presence! She cleared her throat and the gods turned to the sound. Ares grunted at the interruption and stood up. He was still in his tall form and didn't bother to transform himself into human size. He reached out his hand that was the size of Clarisse's body.

"Do you have it?", he asked.  
Clarisse repressed a snort and handed him the present. Ares grinned and ruffled her hair.  
"Well done girl!", he said loudly and, for a moment Clarisse felt proud.

The god of war turned to Aphrodite and handed her the present.  
"To the most beautiful", he said as the goddess opened the present with glowing eyes. It was a mirror of the 19th century. Its frame was covered with emeralds and silver. It was the perfect gift for the goddess of love and beauty.

Aphrodite smiled and looked at herself. Her smile grew and she threw herself in her lover's arms, kissing his face and saying how much she liked the mirror.

Clarisse felt uncomfortable and… a little betrayed. It was hard to know that your father was a god and –she admitted this- not even a nice god. It was difficult to look at her siblings, whom she loved with all her heart, knowing that their father had had so many children with different women. This scene between Aphrodite and Ares made her angry because her father was kissing another woman in front of her eyes. She couldn't but feel that he was betraying her mother.

Clarisse licked her lower lip and nodded to herself. She wasn't needed anymore. She bowed to the two gods, who didn't notice her, and she left the throne room. She walked through Olympus, barely noticing the beauty of the place that had been designed by a demigod. The gods hadn't helped with the building. They had watched as demigods and Cyclops worked their asses off. None of them even offered a hand.

She drove back to camp, where she was welcomed and celebrated like a hero. Chris kissed and whispered into her ear how much he had missed her. Rachel teased her, Leo was being Leo and her cabin threw a party in the Big House. But Clarisse could only think about Annabeth. She asked Malcolm where his sister was and he shrugged, saying that she had to be in her study.

Clarisse didn't like the study but she went there, as she shook hands with demigods. Finally she found the room.

It was a large room with big windows on the roof. The place was full of desks, and papers and blueprints lay everywhere. Clarisse found the person she was looking for, sitting alone at her desk and scribbling something on a piece of paper.

Annabeth smiled weakly. Her grey eyes were emotionless, empty, and Clarisse felt bad for her. She made her decision when the architect of Olympus focused again on the blueprints and her eyes didn't sparkle at the sight of a drawn building. Nico and Percy would kill Clarisse, but she would fight them off. But now she just had to tell the poor girl where her stupid boyfriend was.

Annabeth looked up and frowned at the sight of the drakon slayer. She turned her face back to the blueprints.

"I'm busy, Clarisse", Annabeth said tiredly.  
Clarisse nodded. "I know, but it's important and I think you deserve to know"  
This caught Annabeth's attention. She put aside her pencils and looked at the warrior. "What did you find out?". Her voice sounded hesitant, almost careful, but Clarisse couldn't be fooled. She saw hope sparkling in her grey eyes.

Her mouth felt dry. She was about to break her promise, but girls had to stick together when it came to stupid boys. And Annabeth deserved more than anyone to know about Percy 'stupid' Jackson. She cleared her throat again and took a deep breath.

"I'm not supposed to talk about this to anyone. I'm breaking a promise here-"  
"Then why are you telling me?"  
"Because I think you deserve to know"  
Annabeth leaned back, wiping her mouth. She eyed Clarisse. Her eyes were stormy. "You-you know something about… about Percy, don't you?". Her voice was shaking.  
"Yes", she answered. "He-he's alive.". She cleared her throat again. "The idiot is alive"  
Annabeth let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She buried her face in her hands. Clarisse chose this moment to tell her everything. Well, almost everything. There was no way in Hades that she would even_ think_ about telling her about the curse.

"He didn't want to leave you", she said. "He was- is desperate but he didn't think there was another way"  
Annabeth jumped from her chair and walked up and down her room. "Then why the fuck did he leave me?"  
"He- didn't see another way"  
"And?!", Annabeth cut her off. "Was there another way? Did he even try?"  
Clarisse sighed. Maybe she shouldn't have told her. "He tried, Annabeth. Believe me. I'm the last person that would defend him, but…". Her voice faded. She looked at Annabeth, who was sitting on her chair again, her face on her hands again. Her shoulders were slightly shaking. "But believe me, Annabeth. He- he… he can't come back."  
"Why?". Her voice sounded muffled. "Why doesn't he come back to me? He- he knows I love him!"  
Clarisse repressed a groan. She was not good with these things. "Well…if it helps he loves you too.". Annabeth let out a sob. "He really does. But…". She sighed. "Sometimes it's better to give in when it comes to a higher power"  
Annabeth stopped sobbing and looked up. Her eyes were calculating and Clarisse knew that she'd chosen her words wisely. Annabeth had an idea now why her boyfriend couldn't return to her.  
"Is he okay? Where is he now?"  
Clarisse grimaced uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but I swore not to tell anybody. Believe me, I'm trying very hard to forget what he told me"

She decided to disappear before the daughter of Athena could question her further. She heard Annabeth sobbing and rustling through the papers as she opened the door. She hesitated.

"I can't tell you, but… if you find Nico then you'll find your boyfriend"

Annabeth's back jerked up and her whole body tensed.

"Thank you", she said as she reached for her cell phone and dialed a number. She put her phone to her ear and waited. Then- "Hello Reyna?". Pause. "Yes. Thank you. I need a favor." Pause. "It's important and-". The daughter of Athena sighed and rubbed her eyes. "You owe me. The least you could do would-". Annabeth nodded. "Thank you.- yes. You have to find Nico", she explained. "He'll pass by your camp eventually. He has a sister after all. If he's there please hold him. I need to talk to him urgently.". There was a pause again. "Yes. Thank you. Goodbye.". She hung up and sighed. Then Annabeth turned her head to Clarisse and smiled weakly. The warrior returned the gesture and walked out of the room.

**- Percy and Nico -**

Meanwhile Percy and Nico were currently sitting in front of the camp fire in the middle of a valley. The son of the sea was smoking his pipe, his whole body relaxed as his friend talked.

It was a beautiful, clear night. The stars were bright and the breeze caressed their skin.

"You know this reminds me of this romantic movies", Nico said as he gazed at the sky.  
Percy mumbled something incoherently.  
"Yes. The fire, the stars…the ridiculously amazing weather...". The son of Hades nodded to himself. "Yep. I'm right"  
His friend let out a puff of smoke. "Hm.. if you say so…"  
"Yeah you know… that's the perfect atmosphere for a romantic night… I mean the tent over there and the clear night…. In almost every movie with a similar scenario the two characters start making out and... you know..."

There was a silence and Nico realized what he had just said. He face palmed.

"Way to ruin the moment, Nico", Percy teased as Nico groaned. "How do you know all this?", he asked his friend. "I thought you were more of a horror, action movie kinda guy…"  
The son of Hades blushed at the memory. "Gods!". He groaned embarrassedly. "I was bored!", he cried out into the night.  
Percy laughed and choked on the smoke. "When people are bored they go out and drink a lot. They don't watch romantic movies... I think..."  
Nico groaned again and covered his eyes. "I was in the Underworld, bored and alone okay?!.", he explained quietly, as if he was afraid someone could hear him and tell everybody. "And I kinda stumbled into the Fields of Punishment… there was a guy, whose punishment was watching these type of movies. And you know… what started as a onetime thing turned into an addiction". He shook his head at the memory. "And there was a point where I just couldn't stand up from the couch. This went on until my dad caught me."  
Percy chuckled at his dramatic tone. "How did he react?"  
Nico ran a hand through his face. "He yelled at me for fifteen minutes. Saying that he'd never seen such an embarrassing thing and that his children are too good for this kind of shi, that I was bringing shame to the family and blah, blah, blah"  
"Wow…"  
"Yeah", he scoffed. "It even came out in the news"  
"Seriously?"  
"Yeah seriously, but in the Underworld news. The guys in Elysium made fun of me. It was so embarrassing", he said, covering his face with his hands.  
Percy laughed loudly. Nico grabbed his shoulder and shook him. He stared at him with wide eyes.  
"Don't tell anyone about it, okay?", he said intently. "You have to swear that-"  
Percy waved. "Okay, okay. I won't tell anyone. I swear on the river Styx".

The sky rumbled and Nico lay down on his back and relaxed. They fell in silence, just enjoying the beautiful night and thinking about what the future had prepared for them.

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**The ending is bad, but I didn't know what else to write. Please REVIEW**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm very proud of this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's also the longest chapter so far. Also, I didn't edit it because I'm very, very busy with school stuff and I took my time to write this because I didn't want to do my homework and study... heh :P**

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**Chapter 8**

Three months later the two demigods found each other near San Francisco and one jump away from Roman borderline. There was an agreement, an agreement both sides Roman and Greek had made after the Giant war to preserve piece between them. This agreement was witnessed and led by the Olympians, which meant that breaking it was suicidal, especially if you entered Roman territory without permission.

Nico would never say this in front of the Romans but Greeks were more relaxed and forgiving. He knew that if they crossed the Romans land without permission and they were caught while doing it, Percy and he would probably be locked into a dungeon. But this thought didn't stop him from suggesting Percy to cross the territory.

The son of Poseidon shook his head. "No. You know it's forbidden", he said, putting his backpack on the ground and stretching his back.  
"It's a shortcut. ", Nico reasoned. "Besides, we'll be through before they even notice we're here!"  
He still wasn't convinced. "You know the agreement. And you know the Romans take rules very seriously. Everyone who crosses their land without notice will be punished."  
"They know us!", the son of Hades replied, waving aside his friend's comment. "They're not going to punish us"  
"They will. If they start making exceptions they'll have to make them for everybody. That's not how it's supposed to work"  
The younger one crossed his arms. "Since when do you care about rules?"  
Percy crossed his arms as well. "Since today"  
Nico glared at him. "It's a short cut."

Percy stared back at his friend and frowned. It was true what he was saying and he agreed to go through Roman territory even though his gut was telling him to go the other way. He let out a breath and swung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Fine", he said. "Let's go"

Nico clenched his jaw. He was beyond furious now. Adding frustration and annoyance for failing to escape from this and you got a fuming, dangerous son of Hades, who was about to go off like a bomb.

_Fuck! Dammit!,_ Nico thought bitterly. He would've banged his head against the table if he hadn't been tied up to the chair.

The Romans had improved their questioning methods since the giant war. Nico remembered this room to be old fashioned, the paint had been peeling off, and the room had been lit by candles. It was probably the only thing the Romans didn't like to show to barbarians (aka Greeks). But that belonged to the past now.

The room was painted white and a small light bulb hanged from the roof that was also white. The white door could only be opened by entering a password and cameras were everywhere. Nico wouldn't have been surprised if there if was a camera under his chair.

The only thing that wasn't white was the metallic table and the chair. Nico remembered something a ghost had told him a while ago about interrogation methods he'd used before he'd died. He'd mentioned with a gruesome grin that the only reason for using metallic tables and chairs was because it was easier to clean them. He'd left it at that, but Nico wondered how many people had lost blood in this room. And if any of them had gotten out alive.

He pulled at the handcuffs, wincing as the cool piece cut his skin. He tried to take deep breaths to calm his nerves and think faster. After a few minutes still nothing. Nico groaned at the situation. It was clear now (as if it hadn't been clear before) that the only way out was through that door.

He wondered where Percy was and if he was okay. He also wondered if the Romans recognized him. It had been a while since they've last seen their former praetor and Percy had aged a lot since that last meeting.  
He began to imagine all sorts of scenarios. He imagined how they took Percy to an isolated room, one like Nico's, and that they had him also waiting in uncertainty of Nico's "wellbeing". Then he imagined how the Romans opened the white door and began to ask him questions and showing off the new instruments of torture they had.

As if on cue, the door opened and a girl – woman – Roman stepped in. Her hair was brown and she was very well trained. She walked like true Roman – tall, proud and unbeatable. Also she wasn't wearing a toga or any old-fashioned clothes of the old empire, thinking rightly that Nico wouldn't take her serious if she wore that. She also carried her knife that was attached to her belt.

Nico didn't flinch, blinked or even remotely acknowledged her as he sat down in front of him and for a while neither of them spoke, staring at each other in the eye. And then the interrogator broke the silence.

"I'm Julia, daughter of Bellona". She looked at him and continued as she noticed Nico didn't have any intention to talk to her. "We know who you are and therefore we are quiet surprised to see that a Greek demigod-" ,she emphasized the word as if 'Greek' and 'demigod' didn't match, "- would be so stupid to invade our camp"

Again, no answer came from Nico.

"You know of the agreement Greeks and Romans made after the war, right? The agreement to keep peace between the two sides?"

Nico eyed at her with his piercing black eyes, but he didn't know her enough to be able to read her intentions from hers. It was also a threat, a warning for that girl to be careful.

Julia smiled condescendingly as she caught his attention. She could proceed with the interrogation.

"This man you're with -", she eyed him carefully, analyzing his reaction. "Isn't he too old to be around you?"

Nico closed his eyes for a second before opening them again and staring at this woman coldly. She noticed this and knew immediately that she'd stepped into a soft topic. She also knew how to use this against him and for her advantage.

"Maybe you're trying to replace your father with him", she mused. "Did you find him on the streets begging for money?". She raised her eyebrows. "I bet he has no idea what kind of hero you are"

Nico leaned back as far as it was possible in his tied-up-state and smiled an almost invisible smile. Julia saw that and realized that she had made a mistake. It was true. By saying this Julia had indirectly told him that the Romans had no idea that the "old" man was actually the famous Percy Jackson.

The two of them, the interrogator and the one being interrogated, felt uncomfortable and fell in silence. But Julia collected herself after a few short moments and she continued as if nothing happened.

"We are questioning your friend right now, you know? And you know that the older you get the easier you lose your nerves". She grimaced as if the thought made her uncomfortable. Nico would have laughed at this if the situation had allowed it, but right now it would have been foolish. Percy was too loyal to say anything.

"It would be sad if we'd be forced to use violence to get to the information we're looking for, Nico.". She laid a hand on to the table and begged him with her eyes. But the act couldn't fool Nico, who had seen much and talked to the dead many times. And who could give better council than the dead?

"You're not going to fool me.", he said. "I don't know what you want from me but I guess you're trying to distract yourself from something."

Julia leaned back and raised an eyebrow. "So you did enter our territory-"  
Nico bit back a groan; he was growing impatient. "We were just passing by, dammit"  
"Even though you're aware of the agreement."  
"A I said, we were just passing by-"  
"Well, diAngelo, the rules say that every demigod, who want to cross through our territory has to ask for permission.", she said loudly and hit the table with her fist. "These are the rules- our rules and as long as you're in our territory we expect you to follow them!"  
"Life's not about rules!", Nico retorted, also raising his voice.  
"I'm sorry but you'll have to stay here until further notice. These are our rules and as long as you're in our territory we expect you to"  
" It was my idea, dammit!", shouted Nico furiously. "I talked him into it!"

The room grew quiet and Nico leaned back, breathing hard. His fingers tingled as he gripped the handcuffs. He had to get out of here.

Julia looked at him closely. Her face showed no emotion and after a while she decided to risk it and ask directly.

"Nico…"  
Nico looked up, his eyes showing every emotion inside him. They seemed to be telling Julia to stop asking. His face was pale as the walls and stiff as a rock. The tingling in his finger became stronger.  
"Please let us go."  
"Now Nico, why should I do that?". She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the way you tried to escape before, makes me believe that you're intentions are not simply to 'cross our land'". She stared at him coldly.  
"If you're asking me to tell you why we stepped into your land, my answer is…". He looked at her mockingly. "It was a short-cut". He smiled inwardly as her eyes narrowed in anger.  
"You're not in the position to make jokes, diAngelo. Your Greek brothers won't be able to help you. You broke the agreement", she said with disdain. "What would your sisters think?"  
Nico froze and looked up, his gaze hard and hateful. It was telling her to stop before it was too late. But the daughter of Bellona leaned in closer.  
"How lonely it must be to wake up every morning to realize that everyone has left you. Tell me, is that you want to repay Bianca? After all she's done for you?"  
Hazel had told someone about Bianca. That was the only way this woman could know about his dead sister.  
"And what about you little sister Hazel, huh?". Her voice was like a hiss of a snake. "You're putting her in a dangerous position, Nico. She will be forced to choose between you… and her people. Is that what you want?"  
Nico didn't answer. He was breathing heavily, failing to calm down and repress his fury.  
Julia chuckled. "I bet that's the reason why Bianca left you for the hunt. It was not selfishness. It was tiredness. She didn't want to put up with you anymore. She found something-"

And the bomb went off. Within a second Nico broke off from the handcuffs and hit the table with his hands and shouted: "Don't talk about Bianca!".

Julia stared at him in shock and stood up as well. The son of Hades was furious he aimed to punch her in the face, but she blocked his fist and then the other, before Nico skillfully grabbed the dagger hanging on the side and moved behind her, the deadly knife at her throat.

"You shouldn't have said that", he hissed into her ear. "You forced me to hurt you. You- it's all your fault… you- you deserved it". Julia wriggled, her hands grabbing his arms and pulling at them. But Nico's grip was strong. "A wrong move, girl, and you're dead!" . The Roman whimpered and continued to struggle. The alarm went off, shrilling loudly and making Nico more nervous than he already was.

"You are making me do this. I didn't want to hurt you- or anybody. Oh why oh why didn't you let us go? But- but you… you just had to talk, huh?" Nico saw through the corner of his eyes how a camera moved and then it hit him. The cameras had arrows installed in them. "Tell them to not shoot.", he whispered into her ear and pressed the knife harder against her throat. Julia yelped.  
"DON'T SHOOT!", she yelled. The cameras stopped moving and the door opened.

Nico didn't hesitate. He shoved Julia against the wall, knocking her out and ran through the door. By now the alarm had gone off in the hallways and the noise was choking his senses. He had to get to Percy and get the hell out of there.

He would have never found Percy if he hadn't heard loud noise coming from one of the rooms. The door opened and Percy walked out, his face serious. Even without powers Percy was one of the most dangerous demigods alive.

They exchanged a glance and stormed down the hall. They were confronted with Romans and they fought them all, Percy always stopping to see if the defeated were still breathing. And among all this they entered a room where their things were being held. But eventually they managed to get out of the building.

Outside they were met by turmoil. Everyone was running around, gathering to form ranks and find the intruders. This was their chance to escape and they took it. Percy and Nico ran through the crowd, fighting off Romans after Romans and, as they approached the border and the river Tigris, the more Romans were after them. And before the two Greeks knew it, they were encircled by roman soldiers. Nico and Percy looked around desperately, but there was no way out. The Romans, growling with thirst for vengeance, were getting closer to them. Percy put a hand on his friend's shoulder and nodded towards the river. Nico looked at him with wide eyes, as if saying 'are you sure?'. The son of Poseidon nodded determinately.

"I just need a little more time!", he yelled over the noise of marching Romans.  
Nico grinned, the first time since they were caught. It was a mischievous grin. "No problem"

He made a few steps and grabbed something from an inside pocket of his jacket and held it into the air. It worked because a Roman pointed at the round, black thing the son of Hades was holding and screamed: "GRANADE!"  
The marching soldiers stopped into their tracks. Nico grinned, but as he saw his sister stepping forward with her hands in the air, the grin vanished.

What was Hazel doing here?

Hazel had grown since he'd last seen her. She was more beautiful and her eyes sparkled like gold.

"Nico", she said slowly. "Put the grenade down, please. You- you're going to kill us all"  
Nico glanced at Percy, who had his eyes closed in concentration. He couldn't fail him now. "I-I… I'm doing it Hazel!", he yelled. "I'm setting this bomb off if you don't let us go now!"  
Hazel made another step. "Please, Nico", she said. "Put it down. We-we can talk about this. We.. we can help you find whatever you are trying to find"  
"Ha! We tried talking to you!", he yelled, his hands shaking. "But instead we were locked up and interrogated like terrorists!"  
"I-I know, Nico. I'm sorry, but-"

Percy groaned and tumbled back. Nico knew that this happened every time he conjured his power, but now was really not the time! Percy's knees buckled and would have crumbled to the floor if Nico hadn't caught him with his arm.

"Dammit, not now Percy!", he said quietly and glanced at the Romans. Hazel was watching the older man, whom she didn't recognize, closely and suddenly it dawned on her. Her eyes widened and her hand went up to her mouth.  
"Oh my- Percy?", she whispered shocked.

Nico knew it was time to go and so did Percy. The Romans had just gotten the order to attack when the river exploded and the two outlaws sprang into the storming water.

The water was cold and brutal. Nico was swirled around by the merciless waves. He had no idea where up and down, where left or right was. He was only concentrating to breathe every time he got to the surface. He assumed that the only reason the water hadn't killed him was because Percy was more or less keeping it under control.

He heard a roar and Nico knew it came from the river. Percy's strength had left him and now they were at the mercy of the brutal river. Nico yelped, swallowing water, as the river pulled him down. He was lost, moving his arms and legs desperately to get back to the surface. Everything was blurry. He was drowning. The water kept swirling him around like a cowboy does with a rope, and Nico knew it was hopeless. The river obeyed no one.

And then something gripped him by the collar and pulled him up. Nico gasped for air, moving his arms to keep himself up, but a voice – a familiar voice – shouted: "Hold still!" and he stopped fighting against the water.

"Raise your arms!", Percy shouted again.

Nico raised his arms, spitting out water and grasping for something to hold on to, coughing and feeling more exhausted as seconds passed. And then he crashed against something hard. The hit was so hard that it took Nico's breath away. He lowered his arms and put them around this large… tree. His arms were shaking and a voice in his head told him to lift himself up and lay on the trunk to escape the water. He did so and he crawled along the trunk until he fell. He opened his heavy eyes and he almost cried as he saw that he was lying on the earth. He crawled slowly, very slowly, away from the untamable river until his arms buckled and he fell again.

Nico was exhausted. His body felt numb, so did his brain. He thought about Percy and that he had to stand up to look for him, but his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.

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**So? Did I disappoint? Please REVIEW! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Well... Breaking Bad is over, school's keeping me busy and I won't have "The House of Hades" until Christmas so... God, so much has happened this last month I can't believe it... **

**This chapter is shorter than the last two, but I promise that the next one will be longer. I just started writing it - I'm half-way through, I think...- but it will take a while until it's done. **

**I also wanted to thank my dear readers for the reviews I got. They really encourage me and make me happy. It's nice to see that there are people out there, who like my stories, even though they're only fanfiction. **

**Okay, I'm done. You can continue reading Chapter 9 of "the burden on his shoulders"**

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**Chapter 9**

"Are you kidding me?", the blonde woman yelled into the phone. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "I can't believe it.. you- you said it was impossible to escape the dungeons! You said they were secure and that no prisoner had ever escaped them without being killed!" Annabeth clenched her teeth. "Yeah well", she said emotionless. "That doesn't help at all. Thank you for nothing". She hung up and threw her things from the desk. She ran a hand through her hair and breathed in and out.

Things were not going as planned. And she had to do something against it.

Annabeth put her jacket on and raced to the cave where the oracle lived.

New Athens was asleep. It was very early, but Annabeth had been awake all night. Now as she walked through the new city she couldn't help but feeling stupid. She had known that if she wanted to see something done then she had to do it herself. It was sad though. The Romans had made everything more complicated. They had ruined her plan.

She was surprised to see Rachel awake. The oracle looked pale and tired as if she hadn't slept well for days. But she still managed to smile as her friend stepped into the cave.

"Morning, Annabeth". Her voice sounded raspy. Did she have a cold? "I knew you were coming", she said, walking to her desk and taking a folder from the top drawer. She handed it to Annabeth, who took it with a curious expression. "I've been having this dreams for a while", she explained and raised an eyebrow at her friend. "I have the feeling that the dreams will help you find what you're looking for."

Annabeth flipped through the pages and her eyebrows furrowed as she read some of the words. The pages were full written with Rachel's smooth handwriting and there were even some drawings. She looked closer at one that showed a familiar dark-haired boy with an older boy sitting next to him. Her eyes widened.

"Is this-"  
Rachel nodded. "Clarisse was right. If you find Nico you'll find Percy"  
Annabeth swallowed. "I- How -"  
The Oracle shrugged and sat down at her desk. "I… have been having this dreams for a year… they- they didn't make any sense to me then but I knew that I had to write them down. I learned that leading a dream-diary could be helpful to – you know…", she explained and smiled weakly. "But… I had a dream today and somehow… everything makes sense now.". She stood up and began pacing around the room. "I still don't know what's really going on, but I know that he hasn't forgotten you and that Percy and Nico are in the North"  
Annabeth's body tensed. Her eyes widened and her brain began to make plans for the journey that was awaiting her. Rachel grinned smugly.  
"They will be in a village. They will stay in a house in the middle of nowhere. They are going to be weakened after the whole thing in New Rome. This is your chance", she said gripping Annabeth's shoulder tightly. "You must follow them through this dream-diary. Read them carefully. Take your time… Plan carefully because I can't believe that some gods will like what you're going to do."  
Annabeth frowned.  
"I don't know Annabeth", Rachel cut her off. "But something tells me that you shouldn't mention any other god in front of Percy… I- I don't know. Forget what I just told you! It doesn't make any sense"  
"It doesn't… but it is still important.", Annabeth said. She glanced at the folder and then at Rachel. "Thank you, Rachel."  
The oracle nodded. "Go. You're losing time"  
Annabeth nodded and walked through the entrance.

Nico struggled to his feet and groaned in pain. The sun was setting and the wind was colder. The son of Hades was exhausted and cold from the water, but he struggled to his feet, shouldered his backpack and walked along the shore.

He had no idea what happened when they were in the river. He assumed that Percy had lost control over the water and had used his final strength to save Nico from drowning.

Nico's steps were heavy and slow, his shoulders were ducked and he had dark circles under his eyes. He must've been walking for fifteen minutes when he finally spotted the familiar figure of Percy Jackson, leaning against a tree. He was asleep and Nico's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat at noticing that Percy had aged again. The demigod's hair was greyer. He had more wrinkles around his eyes and Nico couldn't help but notice that his friend looked weaker than before.

He blamed the Romans. This was their entire fault. If they hadn't stopped them, had they not forced him to use his powers, Percy would be fine now. Or better than he was now.

Nico stepped to his side and nudged his shoulder. Percy stirred but just turned his head to the other side.

"Ngggnoo.. he murmured.  
Nico's eyebrows rose before furrowing. "No? What's that supposed to mean?" Percy was quiet. The son of Hades sighed and shook him harder this time. His friend mumbled something and slowly opened his eyes. They had not changed. He smiled weakly as he looked at his friend.

"Do I look that bad?"  
Nico smiled a little. "You're okay", he said and offered his hand. Percy took it gratefully. He had to hold onto Nico for he was still too weak to actually stand for himself. Percy tumbled a little before he was finally able to walk without Nico having to hold him.

Together they stumbled along the river. As they moved along Nico had enough time to look at their surroundings and he realized that he had no idea where they were. As he looked around he noticed the small house with white strong walls. Percy sat down on a rock, breathing in deeply. Nico bit his lip and studied the house closely.

It's windows were closed and there was no smoke coming from the chimney. The fence needed to be repaired, but nevertheless it looked fine.  
They were tempted… they hadn't seen many nice houses during their journey, but if the appearances were deceiving, if they walked into that house and the same horror they'd seen in the forest awaited them in there…. Nico was not sure if he had the mental capacity to . He looked at Percy.

"What do you think?"  
The old hero looked up tiredly but determined. "We're tired…exhausted… and we need to rest for a few days...", he said slowly and with furrowed eyebrows. "But are we ready to risk our lives again?"  
The son of Hades swallowed the sigh that was on his lips and looked up to the sky as he walked with his friend. The clouds were threatening and dark, the wind was stronger, colder, angrier and it wailed as the two demigods slowly veered closer towards the house.

Nico glanced at Percy. He was ready to lie down and sleep. His eyes looked heavy and he was paler than usual. The son of Hades frowned and wondered if the encounter with the Romans had made the curse worse. He blamed himself. It had been his idea to pass through their damn territory…  
The weight of his cousin was heavy on his shoulders even though he was only helping him to walk. Percy's steps were slow and unsteady; he wavered once in a while and sometimes it seemed as if he was going to lose conscience. But Nico did not think about that much. He only hoped that the house was empty so that they could sleep one night through.

They finally got to the cabin. Its door was locked but they got in anyway. The two outcasts walked into the small house and what they found surprised them in a good way.

The room was furnished and everything was tidy. The couch on the left corner was brown and looked old, but the TV across it made up for it. The two demigods put their things on the table, their eyes wide as they took in the pleasant room. Percy immediately walked to the left and opened the first door. He peered into the room and he grinned. He turned to face Nico.

"I'm taking this room, alright?". He didn't wait for an answer, but instead closed the door behind him. Nico stayed in the living room, feeling uncomfortably comfortable with them being here. It was too good to be true, right?

He turned on the audio-equipment. He listened to the music for a few minutes and then turned it off. Beethoven's 6th symphony was not his… style. Of course his father would disagree to it. Classic music was one of Hades guilty pleasures, but Nico knew if he told this to anyone Hades would spread the rumor that his son had been addicted to romantic movies.

The son of Hades walked over to the couch and stroked it as if he couldn't believe that it was real. The cushion was soft and Nico sank into it as he sat down with a groan. He leaned back and stretched his arms and legs. There was a short second where he thought about watching TV, but the thought left him as fast as it came, and soon he found himself closing his eyes and lying down on his back. He slept long and heavy, not even the sound of the door opening and a shocked gasp stirring him from dreamland.


End file.
